


I've Got Your Picture in my Locker

by Priestlyislove



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: 10/10 teen drama/comedy, High School AU, Internalized Homophobia, JEDTAVIUS, M/M, Multi, Things get messy, jed comes to terms with his sexuality, no one is straight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-23 13:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4878967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priestlyislove/pseuds/Priestlyislove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Highschool au where Jed and Oct are tiny freshman who have to deal with teenage problems like crushes, school plays, friends, school dances, and everything in between. It's going to be a crazy good time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey, nerd," Jedediah slammed Oct's locker shut. "Let's go."

Octavius groaned. "Dude, you're only making me take longer by shutting my locker every other second. I swear to god, you're going to take off one of my fingers next time." He put in his combination for the umpteenth time that afternoon. Jed huffed and leaned against the lockers.

"Quit being a baby. I'm not going to slam it on your hand. I'm not dumb."

"That's debatable." Oct zipped up his backpack and shut his locker again. "Okay, let's go." Jed ignored his comment and set the pace, walking way too fast, like always.

"So, today in chemistry we got to play with fire an' that girl Amelia said I couldn't catch a tissue on fire without getting caught and I bet her a snickers bar I could-"

"You live such a cultured life, Jed. I'm so jealous." Oct rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you caught it on fire?"

"Well that's the thing! See, the period was 'bout to end an'-Hey Ahk!" Ahkmenrah was a senior who Jed had met during one of his adventures. They both ended up in a broom closet. They hit it off right away. Oct was later introduced when they were helping Wea free the frogs from the biology classroom.

Ahk gave them a two finger salute. "Wanna come to the GSA, fun sized?" Ahk was the source of most of their nicknames. He was only 5'8" himself so they figured he was compensating. He was also the source of any and all new recruits in the gay straight alliance. He was a really supportive and friendly guy. A lot of people just went to watch him flirt with his boyfriend.

"We're not gay!" Jed stuck out his tongue and Ahk shrugged playfully, carrying on his way. Jed turned back to Oct. "What were we talking about?"

"Well, I was going to tell you about this new guy in my class," Octavius smiled. "He's on my bus, too. He's a junior and he's from London."

Jed rolled his eyes. "Big deal. I'm from Tennessee and no one throws a fit over that."

"Are you kidding me? Everyone was all over your accent in third grade. We just realized your personality isn't that special. Anyway, he's on my bus and I could tell he was really cool, and guess what? He's in my drama class."

"Oh, so he isn't cool," Jedediah snorted. "Anyway, girls still like my accent."

"He's cooler than you. He's really good at Shakespeare and he's got the most gorgeous blue eyes..." He sighed dreamily. Jed gave him a look. He coughed. "I-I mean, so what happened to that tissue you were catching on fire?"

"Jeez, you're such a loser," Jedediah rolled his eyes. He pushed open the big doors and stepped outside, groaning. "Man, it's raining."

"Do you want to borrow my hoodie?" Oct asked as he followed him out but Jed waved him off.

"Nah, I'll just take it like an animal." He shook his head vigorously, getting rain droplets all over Octavius. Oct laughed and shielded his face. "Besides, my bus always comes before yours."

Octavius shrugged, pulling up his hood. "If you say so."

"Speak of the devil, there's my bus now," he flipped Oct's hood off his head before walking off. "Have fun in the rain."

Octavius sighed in frustration, pulling his hood back up over his curls. He watched his friend go and shook his head.

"Um, I'm sorry, can you help me?" He glanced up to see the transfer kid, still dressed in his white shirt and pants. And boy, was that shirt getting wet. In fact, it seemed to be taking the moisture right out of Oct's mouth. "You were on my bus this morning, right? I seem to have forgotten which one."

Oct swallowed hard. The prettiest boy in school remembered their brief encounter. "U-uh, forty seven. It's usually kinda late." He spoke quickly, averting his eyes from the smiling prince who stood before him.

"Thanks. I'm Lance."

"Oh, I won't forget that." Oct's face went bright red. "I-I just mean, we're in the same drama class a-and it's such a different name that-not that's it's a bad name! I like that name."

Lance blinked and then chuckled. God, what an adorable chuckle. "Thanks. You've got quite the interesting name yourself. Octavius, right?"

He nodded, sneaking a glance at him. Even with his hair sopping wet, it was still model-quality. In fact, the way it lay on his face reminded him of Jedediah. He was like a tall, charming, polite Jedediah."Yeah, that's me. But everyone just calls us the miniatures."

Lance unslung his bag from his shoulder, setting it down in the grass before leaning against the brick building. He raised an eyebrow, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Miniatures? Isn't that cute."

Oct felt his face get warmer and he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, it's 'cause Jed and I are only 5'3". Well, he says he's 5'3" and a half but he just wants to act like he's better than me."

"You'll have to forgive me, but I'm still not used to the American measurement system. I think I get the idea though. There's no shame in being small. I think it's darling. I'd like to meet your friend too." Oct scoffed.

"Oh, trust me, you don't want to meet him. He's uncultured and loud and talks with his mouth full. He thinks he's so good at everything-especially track and field, God, don't get me started on that-but his legs are so short he's just going to trip over himself."

Lance laughed. "I'm sure he has his good points. For example, he has good taste in friends."

Oct blinked. "R-really? I mean, he's not that bad...he can be really funny and he can be sorta considerate when it gets down to it. He's also pretty good at cooking."

Lance smiled, his attention diverted as he watched a bus splash by. He picked his backpack up. "I believe that's our ride. Well, sir miniature? Shall we make the journey back to our abodes?"

Oct giggled nervously and nodded, finding himself lost for words. Lance waved to some friends getting on the bus. He patted Oct on his shoulder. "I'm going to go sit by them. I hope to see you again soon."

Oct nodded slowly. "Yeah...me too...uh, you too?"

Lance laughed again. "You're so cute."

He hurried to catch up with his friends, but Oct was left in a daze. A big goofy grin spread across his face and he found himself giggling. "He thinks I'm cute..."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm coming in!" Oct called out as he pushed through the door, slipping his shoes off.

"In my room, kemosabe!" Jed yelled down. Oct bounded up the stairs two at a time, poking his head into Jed's messy room. Jed sat at his desk, chewing on his pencil. "Can you help me with this one?"

Oct sighed. "That's such a bad habit. And it makes all your pencils so gross." He looked over his shoulder at the worksheet. "Jed, I taught you how to do those problems last week. Don't tell me you've already forgotten."

"Sorry we can't all be super nerds, but I got more important stuff on my brain." He spun around his chair in a lazy circle. "Just give me a reminder."

"The formula is y=mx+b and you can't always rely on me for your homework." He walked over to the bed and plopped down on it.

"I don't. I just take advantage of it whenever you're over. Speaking of which, Ma says she's making chicken tonight. You wanna stay?"

"I come here like every other day. And I can't stay, my dad wants me home by five. So hurry up and finish so we have time to watch a movie."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," Jed scribbled down an answer in his chicken scratch handwriting. "What movie we seein' tonight?"

"It's your turn to choose, dummy. So if you can't remember schoolwork or our plans, what is on your mind?"

"Lots of stuff, don't worry about it. Done!" He jammed the sheet into his backpack. He leaped out of the chair and thundered down the stairs before Oct was even standing. Oct sighed and went down to the living room, only to find Jed sprawled out over the couch with a dumb grin across his face. "Sorry, no room for wusses."

Oct rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Move or I'll be forced to take action." Jed snorted and refused to heed his warning, so he attacked. He went right for the ribs, tickling him mercilessly. Jed yelped and drew his legs in almost instantly.

"Okay, okay! I give!"

Oct laughed, claiming his newly won seat. "The great Jedediah gives up so easily? I don't think I'm the wuss." Jed shifted so he was upside down, his head resting on the floor. His hair swirled out around his face like a crown.

"You might've won the battle, but the war ain't over, partner," he grumbled, reaching for the remote. He flipped through the channels, letting out a defeated sigh. "Well, our options are sharknado or the Disney one with the," he tried to think of a word but just wiggled his fingers around, "y'know."

"We're not watching sharknado again. And it's called Beauty and the Beast. It's a good movie. It's actually the musical the school's putting on this year. I wonder if Lance is going to try out..." he giggled to himself. "He'd make a good Gaston."

Jed scrunched up his nose. "Why do you like that guy so much? He ain't special."

Oct sighed. "Of course you wouldn't get it. He's an upperclassman and he likes me. That's what's special about him."

"Ahk likes you too but you ain't gettin' all excited over that."

"I think Ahk was expelled from his old school for committing arson. And you know that kid who said something bad about Larry? We haven't seen him all week. The point is Lance is not a psychopath or a jerk or anything. He's polite and he's classy. Why don't you like him? You haven't even met him."

Jed shrugged defensively. "It doesn't matter. You can be friends with whoever you want, I don't care."

"Don't get like this again," before Jed could ask what he meant by that, he spoke again, "I have to go to the bathroom, just pick the movie." Oct got up and disappeared around the corner. Jed absentmindedly left Beauty and the Beast on. He clutched at his chest. He was feeling icky inside and he didn't know why.

He remembered feeling like this before. It was when he got into a fist fight with that kid back in fourth grade. He smiled to himself. That was a good fight. He couldn't remember what it was about, though. He realized he must be feeling like this because this dumb junior was trying to take his best friend from him. "This better just be a phase," he muttered to himself. The mental image of Oct spending time with this guy just made him feel worse. But soon Oct would have to get over it, right? He's had other friends before, but he always came back to Jed in the end. But somehow, this felt different.

Oct came back into the room, smiling a bit. "Thanks for not choosing sharknado. Man, it's way too hot out for fall," he yanked his shirt off over his head, revealing the tank top he was wearing underneath. "I need to wait until it's colder before I layer up."

"Uh huh..." Jed found himself staring at Oct's arms. He was such a tough guy but he was so petite, he was kind of adorable. He blinked. Did he really just think that? That was weird. He rubbed his eyes. The day was catching up to him. He was just tired. Oct was still just the bratty little kid he's always been.

"Earth to Jed?" He waved a hand in front of his face. "You are really out of it. Make sure you get enough sleep tonight. You don't want to miss tomorrow's track tryouts, right?"

"You ain't my ma," he rolled his eyes. "An' I know how to take care of myself."

"Sorry for caring," Oct refocused his attention to the movie. "I should probably try out for a minor role. I'm a freshman, so no way would I get a lead or even a major part."

Jed shrugged. "I wouldn't sell yourself out so quickly. You're really good."

Oct blinked, his face heating up. "You think?"

Jed looked away. "Y-yeah, you've been doing it since like, forever. You always are great."

Oct laughed a little. "Thanks man. I didn't expect that coming from you." He started talking about the original version or something, but Jed stopped listening. He was so passionate about it and so excited and god, Jed was in way too deep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if anyone's ooc this chapter. Thanks for reading, I'm glad you're all enjoying it!

Oct sighed as he entered the school, people bustling by all around him. He walked like a zombie, not putting any thought into where he was going, since the way was muscle memory by this point. He was busy thinking about other things, like if he should go to Jed's first track meet or to the drama club. He went every week, so it won't matter if he missed one. But this would be Lance's first one, and he wanted to help show him around. Or something.

"Woah, careful!" He was pulled out of the way, right before walking into a ladder. He blinked and glanced up at his savior. It was Lance. The boy had heroism in his blood. "You should pay more attention, poppet."

He brushed a curl behind his ear. "Y-yeah, sorry. Thanks."

He grinned and patted him on the back. "Always happy to be a knight in shining armor, especially for a sweetie like you. I'll see you around, right?" Oct nodded and watched Lance head off, still a little dazed.

"Right, so I should go to the drama club," he said to himself. "Jed can run around like a maniac without me there." He reached his locker, putting in his combination quickly. He went to grab his history book when his pictures caught his eye. All of them were him and Jed. He sighed. Jedediah was his best friend. They had known each other since forever, and Lance shouldn't get in the way of that. But there were butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought of either of them. He weighed the outcomes in his mind. Jed wasn't romantically interested in him, and would take for granted his presence at the meet. Lance, however, he might just have a chance with. But he didn't want Jed to get mad at him for abandoning him. He rested his head against the inside of his locker. "Why is it so hard to choose?" He groaned. He was going to need professional help.

"Hey Ahk, can I talk to you about something?" He was sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, filling out a worksheet before the first bell rang. Ahk could usually be found in the center of things, so him being off to the side troubled Oct a little. Maybe he was busy. Oct was just about to leave when Ahk nodded, not looking up. Oct awkwardly took the sit next to him. "It's about..love." Ahk's pencil stopped mid letter. He calmly set it down and used his hand to prop up his face, turning to Oct. he ushered for him to continue. Oct rubbed his arm. "I just...I think I like this guy, uh, this person. But there's someone else who I thought I liked? And just...how do you know who you like? Actually like? Like, how did you know Larry was right for you?"

Ahk sighed, a dreamy look in his eyes. "Larry is a lot like a piece of plain, white bread. And I am the duck who is going to eat him out all night long."

"Oh my-oh my god, please stop." Oct covered his face with his hands. "I regret coming here so much."

"Love is nothing to be scared of," he nudged him and winked. "Anyway, when you find a guy," he smiled, "I'm sorry, when you find a _person_ who makes you smile in the middle of the night, they're the one. When you look at them and your heart races, that's just the adrenaline. But when you can't stop thinking about them, even when they're not around, that's it. You might like both of them, but you really only love one. Some people love more than one, and some love less, but I know you. And you only love one."

Oct blinked. "That's actually...really good advice. Kinda creepy to know you're looking into my soul like that, but still. Thanks."

Ahk paused, choosing his words carefully. "And make sure they know how you feel, alright? Even if you're still confused about your emotions, make sure they know you're feeling something. They might be feeling something too. Now, if you'll excuse me, this psychology is due next period and I'm not half way done."

"Of course, thanks again," Oct gathered his bag up, heading back out into the halls. He made it to his first period class and sat down. As soon as they made eye contact, Jed sauntered over. He sat down on top of his desk, smiling wide as ever.  
"You comin' to the meet, partner? Could use the morale." Jed grabbed his pencil, methodically balancing it on his upper lip. Once he got it stable, he looked to Oct for praise. Oct laughed and rolled his eyes.

He bit his lip, thinking about the stuff Ahk told him. This decision really wasn't that important in the long run, but it would start things for him. Bigger things. Things he didn't really understand yet and wasn't sure if he was ready to learn about. But he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. The only choice he did have was staring him in the face. He couldn't just sit there and consider it until his life passed him by. He swallowed and decided to go with his gut, because that's what Jed would tell him to do.

"Yeah, of course I'm coming." He smiled. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	4. Chapter 4

Oct sat in the bleachers, cheering for Jed when he succeeded and laughing at him when he messed up. Jed kept waving at him every time they made eye contact. Oct smiled. He felt he made the right choice coming to the track meet. He didn't get to talk with Jed, but he liked seeing him happy. The way he grinned as he raced himself, his hair flopping with each stride. If Jed wasn't too sweaty afterwards maybe they'd go hang out at seven-eleven. Things seemed to being going right for once.

But then Jed stopped to catch his breath. A girl approached him. Oct got a sinking feeling in his stomach. The girl was beautiful with flirtatious eyes and a confident smile. The worst part was how Jed lit up when he saw her. He straightened up, brushing the bangs out of his face. He did that whenever he thought he was cool. And she giggled, like he actually _was_ cool. Oct instantly felt gross. He was hot and dizzy and his stomach hurt. He tried to convince himself it was nothing, but he couldn't. He couldn't tear his eyes away either. The only thing he could see was Jed with that girl, passing smiles and winks between themselves.

Only when she left his side did Oct realize he had been holding his breath. His eyes locked onto her as she ran to her bag, grabbing a pen before jogging back over to Jed. Jed held out his arm as she scribbled something down on it. They laughed. She waved to him, giving him one last playful look before grabbing her stuff and heading off the field. Who did she think she was, walking like that in her short shorts? Trying to steal Jed right out of his hands? And for that matter, who did Jed think he was? Oct's eyebrows furrowed. He knew Jed was selfish and could act without thinking, but this was taking it too far. He couldn't possibly be that oblivious to Oct's feelings, could he? He was just teasing him at this point.

Jed came bounding up the bleachers with his seemingly endless energy. His eyes were wide and wild with exhaustion and excitement. "Did you see that?" He panted out the words.

"Yeah," Oct mumbled, rubbing his arm subconsciously. "I saw." Jed proudly displayed his arm, and it was exactly as Oct feared. A phone number was written out.

"Isn't that cool? Today must be my lucky day. She was super hot, too."

"Yeah, I guess..." Oct wanted to drop it. He wanted to pretend it never happened, and he wanted Jed to do the same.

"What's this all about?" He smirked. "Don't tell me you're jealous? Come to think of it, I don't think you've ever had a girlfriend...maybe some of my charm will rub off on you and you'll find a babe too. I doubt she'll be as cool as her, though."

He had had enough. If he had to listen to Jed brag about her for one more second he was going to have a mental breakdown. After everything he did for Jed, after what he sacrifices to spend time with him, this is how Jed treats him? "Will you stop?! I don't care about her! And neither should you!" He snapped. Jed blinked, speechless. "Out of all the jerky, brainless, cruel things you've ever done Jedediah, this...this is the worst."

Confusion took hold of Jed's face. "What's gotten you so riled up?"

He could feel tears threatening to fall. "You wouldn't know, would you? All you can ever pay attention to is yourself, and what you want! I've been here the whole time and...!" he sniffed, "and you just don't care."

They were silent. Oct felt a tear run down his cheek. He shoved past Jed and whispered, "I'm going home."

"Partner, wait-" Jed reached out for him, but drew his hand back in. He was still in shock. Octavius had been a bit of a crybaby as a kid, but he couldn't remember the last time it was his fault Oct cried. He also couldn't remember the last time he felt this awful. Whatever he did wrong, he would have to make it up to him. But that was part of the problem. He didn't know what he did wrong.

He watched Oct go, his hands balled into defensive fists at his sides. He desperately wished he could make him stay. But he knew he didn't deserve the second chance. Not yet.

He tried to figure out why Oct was so mad. He seemed normal earlier that day. But why would him talking to some girl get him upset? No, it must've been a buildup of things. Maybe someone had made him feel bad earlier, and then whatever Jed did was just the icing on the cake. His thoughts went to Lance. "I knew that punk was no good," he growled under his breath. Oct could be blind to how bad people were sometimes, and he knew this was one of those times. That upperclassmen thought he could come and manipulated his best friend, toying with his feelings and making him cry. Jed wasn't going to stand for that. But right now out thought he was mad at Jed, so he wouldn't listen to him. It was up to him to keep an eye on Lance.

"Don't worry Oct, I'll make this better. And you ain't ever gonna have to cry again. Promise."


	5. Chapter 5

Jed came to the conclusion that the place where Octavius was seeing Lance the most at those drama things they did. So he would have to do them too. Make sure Lance stays away from Oct. Oct'll just be pleased that his best friend is showing interest in his thing. It was a foolproof plan all around.

"Where are ya headed today, dork?" Jedediah said, still amazed at the genius that was his plan. Oct shut his locker, staring at the ground defiantly. He was still a little upset with Jed, even though Jed gave him the full weekend alone so he could recover. Oct glanced at him and started walking. Jed followed persistently. He started again, "So where ya headed today-"

"Auditions for the play start today." He finally muttered. Jed smiled. It was a small victory.

"Really? Well, chance so happens that I'm going there too." This caught Oct's attention. He looked at his friend in bewilderment.

"...Why?"

"I've realized I might've not been the best friend lately, so I'm gonna do somethin' you like. To make it up to you." It wasn't a total lie. Only a little bit of a lie. Oct would forgive him. That is, if he ever found out.

Oct shook his head. "You really don't have to, Jed. I get that you like what you like and I like what I like. And those things should never, ever mix. Under no circumstances."

"Don't be like that!" Jed put his arm around Oct's shoulders. He quickly looked away, but in the blushy, nerdy way he usually did. Not the 'why are you still talking to me' way. This was yet another good sign. "No harm in trying new things. So what is it again? The one with the" he made a vague gesture with his free hand. "Shoes?"

"That's Cinderella," he corrected him with a small smile. "This is beauty and the beast. It's got the enchanted rose and the singing candlestick?"

"I remember that! Right." Jed pulled him closer as a senior nearly walked into him. Oct was flustered for a moment, but then looked at him with sudden suspicion.

"Why are you acting like this?"

He blinked. He thought he was doing pretty well so far. "What do you mean?"

"You never care about what I'm doing. And we never do-" Oct slipped out from under his arm. " _this_ , either."

He shrugged. "Things change, kemosabe. We're high schoolers now. And besides, I thought you didn't like it when I acted selfish? Why is showing interest in you a bad thing?"

"I-it's not, it's just," he sighed, hugging himself. "It's sort of weird. I guess I'm not used to it." He looked away. "But I do appreciate it."

They came across a group of students crowded outside a classroom. Some sat, glancing over scripts. Some leaned against the lockers, making conversation. Others paced the floor, muttering to themselves. One kid was spinning around with their eyes closed.

"Well, this is the place."

Jed nodded. "I could tell." He made eye contact with Lance, who had been talking to his equally attractive friends. Something about the whole group inspired and angered Jed and he wasn't sure why. Lance smiled at him invitingly and Jed narrowed his eyes. Lance came over anyway. "You guys prepared?"

"Never," Oct smiled at him. He laughed and they did an awkward fist bump. Another drama kid pulled Oct away for a brief second. They started a conversation about something geeky, so Jed used this as his excuse to confront Lance.

"Don't think I don't see right through you," Jed hissed. "You ain't winnin' that easy. You got a competitor now."

"I'm sorry, what?" Lance was still smiling, looking at Jed like he was an angry puppy. This just made him more furious.

"Watch your back, princess."

Lance leaned over, bringing their faces inches apart. Amusement twinkled in his eyes. "Shouldn't you pick a fight with someone your own size? Or did you already lose to the kindergartners?"

"I'll tear you down to my size."

Oct came back over. "Oh, you guys have met." Both instantly backed off. Before anything could be said, a kid tapped Lance's shoulder and pointed at the door.

"Oh, looks like it's my turn. It was a pleasure to meet your friend." They waved to him as he left the hall.  
Oct turned back to Jed. "See? Isn't he nice?"

"Yeah. I think we're gonna be good friends."

-

AUDITIONS-ROOM 607 3:30-5:00

"Hello ma'am."

"Hello. You are?"

"I'm Lancelot."

"Looks like you've got all your paperwork in order. Ready?"

"Of course. I'm doing the monologue from Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. 

Hark! the land bids me tread no more upon't;

It is ashamed to bear me! Friends, come hither:  
I am so lated in the world, that I  
Have lost my way for ever: I have a ship  
Laden with gold; take that, divide it; fly,  
And make your peace with Caesar.  
I have fled myself; and have instructed cowards  
To run and show their shoulders."

"That was very nice, Lancelot. Please let the next person in."

"Of course. Have a good day, ma'am."

"And you are?"

"Um..."

"Speak up, dear."

"Sorry! I'm just sort of nervous. I'm Oct. I mean, Octavius. But you could just call me Oct. Yeah."

"Okay, Oct. Do you have your forms?"

"Oh! Yes! Sorry! Here you go."

"Thank you. You may get started."

"Uh, this is the part of Dummy by D. M. Larson.  
I didn't mean to stop talking to you... I didn't mean to turn in to him over there... But I just wanted to stop ... Stop before I did any more damage. It feels like my words cause so much destruction. It's like a flower in the wind. You love the gentle breeze of my words when I say sweet things to you... You open up yourself and bloom for me in my kindest moments. But the harsh words break you and tear you apart like a storm. My words storm and rage over you like some black cloud raining over us ripping the gentle petals from you. Like a flower caught in a tornado."

"There was a lot of passion in that, Oct. Work on raising your volume though, okay? Send in the next person."

"Thank you! I will."

"And you are-"

"Jedediah. I'm sure you've heard of me."

"That's very funny. Your paperwork?"

"What? I thought we sang and shi-stuff. I didn't know there was gonna be homework. This is bogus."

"You were supposed to have it done before the audition. Here's an extra. Do you want to go for it anyway? You can turn in this tomorrow."

"Yes! Okay. I call this one, 'The Entirety of Indiana Jones Two.' "

"There was a list of monologues you were supposed to choose from-"

"DISMOUNT! Herman's horsesick! Chaps, don't anybody wander off. Some of the passageways in here can run for miles-"


	6. Chapter 6

Callbacks were up on the drama board. Jed tried to ignore them, playing it off like he didn't care. But the truth was he did care, too much, and his name wasn't up there. He didn't know how all this stuff worked, but he was pretty sure if you didn't make callbacks that your life was over. Oct was telling him about it and he tried to pay attention. He was distracted and Oct could tell.

"Is everything okay? You seem kind of down," he offered at lunch. Jed crammed sandwich in his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer. Octavius sighed. "You know you can't keep secrets from me. I've known you forever."

"'m fine," he mumbled through bites. "Don't worry 'bout it."

"You're not upset because you didn't make callbacks, right?" Oct laughed a little, but stopped when he saw Jed wasn't laughing. "Are you serious dude? No one cares about callbacks. You can still make the play even if you don't-why are you so invested in this anyway? I'm not mad at you anymore, you know."

"When I say I'm gonna do somethin', I'm gonna do it. Jedediah don't back down from a challenge."

Oct rolled his eyes. "The great Jedediah needs to learn not everything is a challenge." It wasn't about Oct being mad anymore. Jed knew the look in Lance's eyes well. He was edging him on. He wanted to see how far he'd go. He was willing to go all the way, and he was taking Lance with him. He didn't know if Lance would recover from that, but he knew he would. And then it could just be oft and him again. Like it was supposed to be.

The bell rang and Oct sighed, packing his stuff back into his bag. "Shoot, lunch is over already. Are you still giving me a ride home today?"

"Of course. I'll see you then."

The rest of the day passed by in a gray blur. Jed was never the best student, but lately he had really been lacking motivation. He knew he had to keep his grades up or else he wouldn't be allowed to keep doing track. But it was hard to make himself care about electrons and the Persian war. Normally he'd ask Octavius for help, since Oct could always make it fun, but he didn't want to make it seem like he needed him as much as he did. He wasn't sure why, but all he knew was it was stupid and he would stop if he could. But everytime he went to ask him for help, his voice caught in his throat. He tried to explain his dilemma to Amelia.

"Sounds like you got a crush on the person you're talking about," she said, doodling an angry frog on her worksheet.  
"Don't joke like that, dude!" Jed could feel his face getting hot. "It's not that."

"Um, I think it is," she shrugged. "You don't want to seem like an idiot to the person. I'll tutor you if you need the help. I charge one hundred dollars an hour."

"I wouldn't want you to teach me if you were the last person on the planet," he stuck out his tongue. "Anyway, you're wrong. It ain't that because that ain't who I am, and it ain't who they are either."

"You make as much sense as a sack of rocks sometimes," she shook her head. She held up her paper, proudly displaying her artwork. "This is you. You're this frog."

He punched her shoulder lightly. "Shut up," She elbowed him the ribs. "Hey! That was way harder than what I did!"

"Whatcha gonna do about it? Cry?" They both stopped as the teacher walked by. He made a face and kept walking. As soon as he was gone, they glared at each other. This didn't last very long and quickly erupted into a giggle fest.

The bell rang and half the class was already out of the door. "We're free!" She cried, raising her hands to the ceiling. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun running or whatever you do."

"Have fun being dumb." Before she could retaliate, Jed was out of the room. When his laughter died down, he realized he didn't really feel any better. Her saying that to him just filled him with this weird anxiety. Everything was too complicated. Maybe running would help him clear his mind.

It didn't.

While he ran, all he could think about was Oct. How Oct was probably with Lance right now. How he would get smug about it when he beat someone in a debate and how it was kind of cute. How his hands were really warm, like, surprisingly warm. How he looked at him with such relief after he pulled Jed out of the pool once when they were younger, worried he was going to drown because he had been too stubborn to admit he didn't know how to swim. How Amelia thought he was in love with him.

He left practice sweaty and gross. His heart felt sweaty and gross too. He decided that's why he didn't write poetry. He headed over to where callbacks were being held, stopping dead in his tracks when he noticed only Lance standing outside the classroom.

"Hey, Jebediah." Lance smiled coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Jedediah, and I'm here 'cause I'm driving Oct home." He spoke through his teeth. "Why ain't you in there?"

"I finished early. Aren't you a little young for driving?"

"I meant my mom was takin' us."

Lance admired his own nails in thought. "How sweet. Well, I have a license, maybe I should just take him home. We can talk about how callbacks went. I'd take you too, but I don't think you'd be able to join in on the conversation. Guess it'll just be us."

He grabbed Lance by his collar, yanking him down to eye level. "Now you listen to me, blondie. Octavius is the best kid I ever met, and I ain't too fond of people tryin' to use his kindness and naivety against him. If you lookin' fer a fight, then you come to me. You leave him out of it."

Lancelot was taken off guard by the attack. Once he registered what was happening, he pried Jed off of him, straightening back up. He brushed himself off. "My, my. I think you grossly misjudge me. With an iq like yours, I don't blame you. But I like Octavius. He's a sweet kid. I think I want to be his friend. Poor dear seems to think we'll be something more, though. How quaint, but disillusioned-"

"Don't talk about him that way. He looks up to you, you asshole." Jed couldn't take it. He swung his right fist as hard as he could, hitting him square in the jaw. The blow sent him staggering. Jed's breath was fire, the drum of his heart beating out a war . Lance stood up, a seriousness overtaking him that wasn't there before. He touched where Jed had made contact. He spat out a drop of blood. He looked at Jed with a new sort of intensity. Jedediah braced himself for the counterattack, his body reacting faster than his mind could keep up with.

"Jed? Lance?" Time froze. All the bloodlust in Jed evaporated, and Lance's expression got soft again. They both looked at Oct, who clutched the straps of his backpack. "Jed, did you-oh my god...!"

Lance stepped closer to him. "Don't worry about clumsy old me, poppet. I just had a frightful fall is all. But it wouldn't be bad if you kissed it better."

Oct blushed. His expression was lost somewhere between confusion and anger and now embarrassment. "W-what?"

Lance crouched down, smiling. "You do that here, right? Just on the cheek. I'll forget about this whole thing."

"Oh..." Oct's face was still beet red but he leaned over and hesitantly pecked him on the cheek. He flashed a dangerous grin at Jed, who couldn't even move. "Th-there. "

Lance stood back up, ruffling Oct's hair. "Thanks, love. I'll see you around." He threw one last victorious glance back at Jed, a look that said 'try and stop me. I've got a hostage.' He headed off.

Jed glanced at Oct, expecting the worst. Instead, Oct was in a lovestruck daze. "We need to talk...l-later."

Jed had never felt so helpless and small his entire life. He had to fix things. Fast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, just in time for finals. Yippee.

Jedediah, to everyone’s surprise, made the play. He was the cup (who he later learned was named Chip), because the auditioned found him oddly adorable. That was a little demeaning, and Amelia gave him a hell of a time for it, but the important thing was he made it. He would've shoved it in Lance’s face, except for the fact Lance had gotten the lead. Oct was thrilled over getting to play the candlestick, blabbing to Jed about how special it was that a freshman got a singing role.

Practice wasn’t awful. Jed had a lot of fun. He didn’t think memorizing stuff could ever be enjoyable, but Oct was having such a nice time he found himself smiling with him. He was starting to think anything would be fun as long as he had his partner in crime beside him, his kemosabe, his best friend, his soul mate. In a platonic way.

He didn't see Lancelot do anything particularly evil, even though he was watching him like a hawk. Lance was just sort of snobby. Still, Jed's stomach twisted into knots whenever Oct spent time with him. That had to be a sign. 

The days turned into weeks and before they knew it, they found themselves a week away from tech week. “I'm telling you Jed, tech week is gonna be insane,” Oct snatched a few m&m’s from Jedediah’s pile. “You've never had one before, and since this is high school, it's going to be even crazier.”

“I can take it,” he said as he flipped on the tv, looking for a good movie to put on. It had been a while since they had the chance to have a movie night. Rehearsal kept them busy. They made it a point to hang out. They had even gotten a pizza earlier, something they rarely did. “Can’t be crazier than track nationals.”

“You're not going to get any sleep. Not that you do anyway.” Octavius laughed a little. The movie was a cheesy scifi from the 60s. Oct had a soft spot for those, but tonight he seemed uninterested. He was distracted. He picked at a loose seam in the couch. “...can I talk to you about something?”

“Shoot.” Jed grabbed a handful of candy, stuffing it into his mouth. He tuned down the volume on the tv. It seemed like whatever he was going to say, it would be important. 

“I, uh, this is hard to say,” Oct sighed. “Jed, you're my best friend…” Jedediah’s heart froze in his chest.

“Yeah?” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again, deepening his voice. “Yeah.”

Oct didn't look up, he didn't even chuckle. He was visibly nervous. So was Jed. “And there's something you need to know. It's, like, really important that you know this.”

“Go for it,” Jed was pretty sure he said that. He might've just opened his mouth and closed it again.

“I kind of have a crush on this guy, and...and I've had to think about a lot of things lately. Like, who I am to certain people, and stuff about my future. So I've made up my mind." Oct smiled a little. “...on opening night, I'm going to confess to Lance.”

Jed froze. Instantly he hopped on the defensive.  “You're kiddin’, right? That _jerk_?”

“He's not a jerk. He's polite and funny and really handsome." Oct frowned. "I was hoping you would be happy for me. Just a couple weeks ago you were saying I haven't ever really dated, and I thought about that a lot. I can't just wait around forever on Mr. Perfect."

“No. You shouldn't do it.” Jed didn't know why this was bothering him so much. He could hardly put up with them being friends, and he couldn't stand the thought of them dating. It had to be because Lance was bad. There was no other possible answer. 

“Jed, it's my life. I'm allowed to date who I want.” He creased his eyebrows. “Your opinion is important to me, but this is the kind of decision I can make on my own.”

Jed shut off the tv, turning to face him. “No way. You're blinded by his charm, you can't see how bad he really is for you. I won't let you.”

“It's not up to you to ‘let me’ do anything!” Oct cried. “I know you were going to do this again, I knew it! This is why I was scared to tell you, it's fourth grade all over again!”

Jedediah wrinkled his nose. His memory was failing him. He racked his brains. Oct had a singing recital, they dressed up as werewolves for Halloween, he got into that awesome fight, a teacher got fired, they worked on countless group projects together like every year. Nothing stood out to him. “What happened in fourth grade?”

Oct looked at him with utter disbelief. “You _forgot_? I can't believe you. Well, Jedediah, let's see if I can jog your memory,” he spoke condescendingly, “A really nice boy gave me a dandelion and told me he liked me a lot. I told you, because you were my best friend and I told you everything. You couldn't take the thought of us being together, so you went to him and told him to ‘screw off,’ in that articulate manner you do. He said no because he really did like me, then you two started pushing each other and it turned to punching. You gave him a black eye. You both got suspended, and then he never talked to me again!”

Jed blinked. “That's... _that's_ what that fight was about?” 

“Yes! Yes yes yes! Congratulations Jedediah, for once in your life you could see something that was right in front of you!” Oct screamed, angry tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “I can't believe I used to think I was...nevermind. I'm going home.”

He got up quickly, stuffing his feet into his shoes and hurrying through the door. “Partner, c’mon, wait!” Jed chased after him barefoot. “Octavius!” He yelled helplessly. Oct stopped for a moment, turning to look at him. “I…” The words were stuck in his throat. _Just say it_ , his mind begged, _just say anything_. He looked down. “I'm sorry. You can go.”

And he did. And neither of them were happy. 


	8. Chapter 8

“I can’t hear you,” Ahk spoke into the phone, shooting a glare in the general direction of his older brother. “My brother’s going on and on about tech week. I still can’t believe they’re letting him be stage director when he got held back a year. I’ll go outside, just a sec.” Oct waited impatiently on the other side of the line. As soon as he had gotten home, he had holed up inside his room and called Ahkmenrah. Oct was still a little freaked out by Ahk,  but he knew he was the best for advice on this sort of situation. “Okay, now spill.”

“So you know how I told you there were two guys I liked?” He started speaking quickly, “Well, I decided I was going to confess to one of them because the other couldn’t take a hint and I didn’t want to end up growing old alone, you know? So I-I told someone very important to me my plan because I thought they would be happy, or maybe I just wanted them to see they were running out of time to confess to me because I couldn’t wait any longer, I didn’t know if they even liked me and-”

“Slow down.” Ahk spoke gently, but something about him was always demanding. Oct fell silent. “You can’t play games with people. If you wanted to know if he liked you, you should’ve just asked. He may be totally oblivious, but if you keep dancing around the issue it’s only going to make things harder. Just be honest. Don’t make things worse.”

Oct slumped down. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He thinks I hate him. He probably hates me too.”

“Look, I know-” Ahk was interrupted by a crashing sound. Oct jumped a little, surprised that he could hear it over the phone. “Oh for fuck’s sake, Kah!”

"Uh, everything okay…?”

He heard a loud sigh. Ahk responded with somewhat strained cheeriness, “Everything’s great. I’ll have to call you back later. Take care, small fry.”

“Okay, bye,” Oct said but Ahkmenrah had already hung up. He set his phone down. He mumbled to himself, “Don’t make things worse, huh?”

Making things worse happened to be exactly what Jed was doing as he sprinted down the street. “Shit!” He cursed as he stepped on something sharp, still having not bothered to put on shoes. He stumbled onto the driveway and straightened up. He knocked on the door and tried to flatten the creases in his shirt. He brushed his bangs to the side.

Amelia opened the door. He gave her a toothy smile. “Jed? Why do you look like you ran here?” She glanced down, her eyebrows furrowing. “Is your foot bleeding?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he panted, trying to regulate his breathing. “I need to...I came to ask you…”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Spit it out.”

“Ame, will you date me?”

He had decided the only way he could win back Oct’s favor was to make him jealous. If Jed was dating someone, surely he would see how bad it made one feel when one’s best friend was with someone. It was the only logical choice in his mind.

They stared at each other. The only sound was Jed’s frantic breathing and the tv from somewhere inside the house. Amelia took in his body language, and when she realized he wasn’t joking, she began to snicker. She doubled over with laughter. Jed frowned. “A simple ‘no’ woulda done.”

“No, no, I’m sorry, it’s just,” she wiped a tear away from her eye. She grinned at him, in amusement and somewhat disbelief, “I’m a huge lesbian! I like girls! Wasn’t it obvious?” She brushed a hair behind her ear. “I actually went on a date with Wea a couple nights ago. We’re going to do it again soon.”

“Oh, well then,” Jedediah was at a loss for words. “I’m, uh, happy for you guys? Wea’s pretty cool.”

Amelia nodded, still chuckling a little. “Yeah, she is.” She leaned against the door frame. “But you're not off the hook that easy. Why did you ask me? You’ve never showed any interest in me before. I certainly didn’t try to lead you on or anything.” She teased, “Ooh, did Jedediah want to kiss me? I didn’t realize you were a sap.”

“No! Ew, that’s gross to just think about. It was just that you’re the only girl who I thought would date me on such short notice.”

Amelia looked him up and down, sizing him up. She nodded to herself. She motioned for him to follow her inside, which he did she plopped down on her couch, patting the seat next to her. Jed sat, not sure he had any other choice. Her voice became surprisingly gentle and unlike her, "Jed, why do you think kissing me is gross?”

“Because you’re gross.” He retorted instantly. She waited, making it clear she wasn’t going to take that for an answer. He sighed, looking away. “I don’t know, kissing just seems gross. I can’t picture myself kissing a girl an’ liking it. I know, it makes me sound like a little kid.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay." She paused. "But tell me, is there anyone you _would_ like to kiss?”

He thought about Octavius. He didn’t know why. He thought about back in second grade, where he kissed a boy on a dare. Jed got a rice krispie treat out of it. That wasn’t that bad. In fact, he thought about it for weeks afterwards. “...I guess.”

Amelia nodded sympathetically. “And...it’s not a girl, is it?”

Jed’s face was getting hot. He clutched at his shorts like a lifeline. “Yeah.” The word hardly made it out of his throat. Admitting it felt like he just dropped a glass of water that he had been trying so hard not to spill. It was shattered all over the floor and things were out of his control. 

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “I won’t blame you if you cry.”

“I’m not gonna cry!” He protested, but he kind of felt like he might.

“No shame in it! I bawled like a baby when I came out to my mom. She was cool about it though. So for now, think of me as your cool mom,” she grinned.

He sighed, leaning against her instead of shrugging her off. “I didn’t want people to think I was weak, y’know? My dad said gay men were softies and that he didn’t raise a softie. So I tried to like girls. And I did, but I could never _like_ like them. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me.”

Amelia rested her chin on his head. It was oddly comforting. “Let it all out, little guy.”

“When Oct told me he liked dudes, I didn’t know what to say. So I didn’t say anything and that was that. Seeing him and Ahk and everyone who’s out it made me think you guys weren’t weak, you guys were really brave for not caring about what people say. I kinda wished I was that brave.” He swallowed. “I’m not easily scared, but even just tellin’ you was hard.”

Amelia hummed empathetically. “But don’t you feel better now that it’s out there?” He nodded. She gave him a pat on the back and let go. “Good. Now I’m going to get you a bandage for your foot.” She hopped off the couch, stopping by the stairs. “Thanks for trusting me. Are you going to tell anyone else?” She bit her lip. “I know it’s not up to me, but you should probably tell Octavius.”

He nodded. “I’m not ready yet. Don’t tell him. I-i gotta do it myself.”

“I would never out you, loser.”

“Thanks, jerk.” He knew he couldn’t tell Oct right then, or even the next day. There was still too much tension after the fight. He just hoped he would have the courage to tell him before Oct confessed to Lance.   



End file.
